Crenellated Habitat · 2020. 7. 15. · Crenellated Habitat by Tony Bloom The Whispering Grasses...
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Crenellated Habitat by Tony Bloom The Whispering Grasses Walkway spans John Laurie Boulevard between Brisebois Drive and Charleswood Drive N.W. Crenellated Habitat consists of two curved panels placed at each end of the pedestrian bridge which create a curved funnel on the concrete approach. Images relating to the natural environment of the site were applied into the curved surfaces using sandblasting, grinders, inscribers, scalars, plasma cuts and layering. Connection to the community The Dr. E. W. Coffin Elementary School has a close connection to Nose Hill Park -- the school adopted the Whispering Woods through the City's Adopt-a-Park program in 1995, and wrote letters to the Ward Alderman voicing their support for a future pedestrian overpass. When building on the overpass began, the school included trips to sketch the ongoing construction of the overpass as part of their curriculum. The school also worked with the Brentwood Community Association to show their interest in submitting a name for the overpass structure. Their efforts resulted in the John Laurie pedestrian overpass being named the Whispering Grasses Walkway. The Artist Tony Bloom works at Stonecrop, his studio in Canmore, Alberta, producing copper, bronze, steel, ceramic, concrete, and plaza sculpture. He has had exhibitions all over North America including Vancouver, Ottawa, Arizona, New York, and San Francisco, as well as many international showings such as in Barcelona, Spain and Mino, Japan. His awards include the Mayor's Award for Excellence (Canmore), a Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award, Special Recognition from the Edmonton Urban Design Awards Program, a Province of Alberta Achievement Award, three Canada Council Awards, an Alberta Design Competition Award and many more. The Project • The artist was chosen through an open call process in 2005, where all interested artists are invited to submit an application for four decorative panels and/or railings to flank either side of the John Laurie Pedestrian Overpass. • The budget for Crenellated Habitat was $75,000. • The project was a collaborative initiative by the Public Art Program and City of Calgary Transportation Infrastructure, the business unit sponsor. • The capital project which provided the funding was the construction of the John Laurie Pedestrian Overpass. • The John Laurie Pedestrian Overpass was completed in August 2005.
Transcript of Crenellated Habitat · 2020. 7. 15. · Crenellated Habitat by Tony Bloom The Whispering Grasses...
CrenellatedHabitatbyTonyBloom
TheWhisperingGrassesWalkwayspansJohnLaurieBoulevardbetweenBriseboisDriveandCharleswoodDriveN.W.
CrenellatedHabitatconsistsoftwocurvedpanelsplacedateachendofthepedestrianbridgewhichcreateacurvedfunnelontheconcreteapproach.Imagesrelatingtothenaturalenvironmentofthesitewereappliedintothecurvedsurfacesusingsandblasting,grinders,inscribers,scalars,plasmacutsandlayering.
Connectiontothecommunity
TheDr.E.W.CoffinElementarySchoolhasacloseconnectiontoNoseHillPark--theschooladoptedtheWhisperingWoodsthroughtheCity'sAdopt-a-Parkprogramin1995,andwroteletterstotheWardAldermanvoicingtheirsupportforafuturepedestrianoverpass.Whenbuildingontheoverpassbegan,theschoolincludedtripstosketchtheongoing
constructionoftheoverpassaspartoftheircurriculum.TheschoolalsoworkedwiththeBrentwoodCommunityAssociationtoshowtheirinterestinsubmittinganamefortheoverpassstructure.TheireffortsresultedintheJohnLauriepedestrianoverpassbeingnamedtheWhisperingGrassesWalkway.
TheArtist
TonyBloomworksatStonecrop,hisstudioinCanmore,Alberta,producingcopper,bronze,steel,ceramic,concrete,andplazasculpture.HehashadexhibitionsalloverNorthAmericaincludingVancouver,Ottawa,Arizona,NewYork,andSanFrancisco,aswellasmanyinternationalshowingssuchasinBarcelona,SpainandMino,Japan.HisawardsincludetheMayor'sAwardforExcellence(Canmore),aCanadianSocietyofLandscapeArchitectsMeritAward,SpecialRecognitionfromtheEdmontonUrbanDesignAwardsProgram,aProvinceofAlbertaAchievementAward,threeCanadaCouncilAwards,anAlbertaDesignCompetitionAwardandmanymore.
TheProject
• Theartistwaschosenthroughanopencallprocessin2005,whereallinterestedartistsareinvitedtosubmitanapplicationforfourdecorativepanelsand/orrailingstoflankeithersideoftheJohnLauriePedestrianOverpass.
• ThebudgetforCrenellatedHabitatwas$75,000.• TheprojectwasacollaborativeinitiativebythePublicArtProgramandCityofCalgaryTransportation
Infrastructure,thebusinessunitsponsor.• Thecapitalprojectwhichprovidedthefundingwastheconstructionof
theJohnLauriePedestrianOverpass.• TheJohnLauriePedestrianOverpasswascompletedinAugust2005.
